AUGUSTA, Maine, July 6, 2012 — Central Maine Power (CMP), a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, recently ranked ninth for brand strength among major utilities in the U.S. based in a recent survey of residential customers. The survey, conducted by E Source, in partnership with The Nielsen Company, ranked 84 investor-owned and public utilities based on brand attributes, including price-to-value ratio, communication effectiveness, program offerings, environmental friendliness, and customer service.

The E Source analysis identified factors that drive brand value to a high extent. People who opt into customer services such as auto pay, budget billing, and web payment rate their utilities higher, and a utility's brand strength can be enhanced by engaging more customers in service options that are simple to use and give them control and choice.

“We approach every customer interaction as a chance to build a rapport as friend and neighbor,” said Leona Michelsen, CMP’s director of marketing. “We stress reliability and value, while offering personalized options for electronic payments and communications. We are also working on a new service to give customers on-line access to hourly energy use data and energy efficiency tips based on our newly installed smart meters and advanced meter infrastructure.”

Central Maine Power consistently exceeds regulatory standards for system reliability and customer service, and its residential and small business customers have enjoyed stable rates that have risen less than five percent—well below the rate of inflation—in the past decade. CMP’s formula for customer service and reliability has also helped it achieve six Number One rankings for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates.

“Our brand strength was built on safe, reliable operations and meeting customers’ highest expectations for service,” said Michelsen. ”Everyone in the company is committed to both.”

About Central Maine Power Company (CMP): Central Maine Power Company, a subsidiary of Iberdrola USA, is Maine’s largest electricity transmission and distribution utility. The company delivers about 9 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually to more than 600,000 homes and businesses, representing about 80% of Maine’s annual consumer sales of electricity. The company has been ranked #1 in customer satisfaction six times by J.D. Power and Associates. For more information, visit www.cmpco.com/.

About Iberdrola USA: Iberdrola USA, a subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola, S.A., is an energy services and delivery company serving more than 2.4 million customers in upstate New York and New England. For more information about Iberdrola USA, visit www.iberdrolausa.com.